Backlinking for Dummies - What It Is and How It Works

One of the most discussed topics in search engine optimization (SEO) is backlinking. To the average business owner, this topic can be a bit confusing. Thus, let's explore what backlinking is and why it works.

What Is Backlinking?

To understand how backlinking works to improve search engine ranking, it is important to discuss what it is. Simply put, backlinking is anytime a website other than yours links to your website. Examples include a link posted on Facebook or Twitter. Other blogs or websites posting a link to your website also counts as a backlink in the eyes of the search engines.

It is also important to know that certain websites have a higher importance when it comes to backlinking. For example, websites ending in .edu with your website link on them have a higher authority than a .com website. Social media backlinks (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn) are also considered with high regard.

How Does Backlinking Work to Improve Search Engine Rank?

Search engines look at backlinking in terms of the number of links to your particular website. Obviously, the more backlinks the more relevant a site is seen by the search engines. Again, the type of backlinks also matters.

While search engines, such as Google or Yahoo, do not publish their algorithms for how backlinks work into their search results, there is significant evidence that they do play a role.

So, how does one receive backlinks? By including relative, informative, and educational content for your website visitors, you are creating the type of information that they will most likely share with others. This is the easiest and (by far) the most organic way to help increase the number of backlinks you can receive.

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